ROEDER ENJOYING TOON TENURE
Glenn Roeder is enjoying life as Newcastle UnitedÂ’s caretaker manager, even if he does not want the job on a permanent basis.
The former Magpies skipper will send his side out against Charlton Athletic tonight looking for a fourth successive victory since Graeme SounessÂ’ departure, having engineered an encouraging turn-around which has raised spirits.
“If you play three and win three, it can only be very enjoyable and satisfying,” he said. “But remember, it’s a team effort, it’s not just Glenn Roeder.
“It’s the backroom staff working away as hard as they can to make sure we keep this small squad as fit as we can to get us through this period while we are waiting for three major players to come back from long-term injuries.
“And of course, it’s the players. I can’t cross the white line and do anything about it myself, it’s the players who are doing it. They are still the biggest, most important commodity at any football club.
“Certainly, these last three games have been enjoyable and I have not got any complaints with the players whatsoever.
“I am not sure if it has been said too much, but in the three games, we have virtually put out the same team. We have had changes forced upon us with (Celestine) Babayaro suspended and, of course, Alan (Shearer) having to drop out on Saturday through injury.
“But I think Graeme had to change the team virtually every single week, so that’s important, that you can keep the same group of players playing week in, week out.”
Shearer, the man asked to assist Roeder during his time in charge, remains a doubt with his calf injury, while they will make a late check on SaturdayÂ’s match-winner Kieron Dyer, who was left exhausted by his first start since August.
However, with Everton and Bolton Wanderers to come at home in their next two matches after Charlton, Newcastle know they can make a major push, although the man in charge will allow no-one to look too far ahead as he prepares for a game he admits could make or break their season.
“We will attack the Charlton game first, Everton is on the back-burner,” Roeder said. “We have all the information we need on Everton in terms of reports and videos, but we would not even consider looking at that, we don’t need to look at that until after the game tonight.
“All our thoughts and attention have been focused since Saturday on Charlton. They are three huge points - these three points could be the key three points of the season.
“Alan Curbishley has said that himself. They have got two games this week, and they are looking at the game at Newcastle and whoever they are playing at the weekend (Aston Villa at home) as being the difference between whether they are going to have a good season or an average season.
"I would take the same view. These three points are absolutely critical, and we have got to get it right.”
Charlton manager Curbishley admits he is desperate to savour an away win once again.
A glance at the Barclays Premiership table shows the Addicks have fared better than many away from their home ground, with five wins and a single draw so far.
But those five victories were all recorded before the end of October, with that single point - picked up at Chelsea of all places - the sole reward for their last seven away trips.
CurbishleyÂ’s men have a chance to put that right tonight at Newcastle in a rearranged fixture which fell foul of bad weather in December.
He said: “We need to arrest our away record, which is pretty dreadful at the moment.
“We had that fantastic start to the season and that has stood us in good stead in some respects.
“Our away record stands up still in terms of the points we have picked up but the last five or six games have been dreadful.
“We need to arrest that and we need to do it this week. In the last couple of away games we have not done ourselves any justice at all.
“We were beaten 3-1 at Spurs and 3-2 at Manchester City and we need to pick some points up on the road.
“Newcastle is our next opportunity and we have got to take it. It has been such a topsy-turvy season. At the start we were winning away from home but not at The Valley now it is the other way round.
“Only Manchester United and Chelsea have scored more goals than us away from home but we have let too many in. Our defensive mentality is not there any more. It was in the early games.
“I have never had a season like it. It can be corrected and if we pick up points on the road then we will have a decent away record.”
Striker Marcus Bent is set to return to the starting line-up having been cup-tied for SaturdayÂ’s 3-1 FA Cup victory over Brentford that set up a home quarter-final with Middlesbrough next month.
Winger Darren Ambrose will hope to get a start against his former club, who have former Addick Scott Parker in their ranks.
Meanwhile, defender Gonzalo Sorondo is on the comeback trail after a broken foot, and played for the reserves against Fulham.
The Uruguay international, who is on loan from Inter Milan, was injured in a challenge with ArsenalÂ’s Cesc Fabregas in his first Barclays Premiership start for Charlton.
Curbishley said: “He’s had a disastrous time. I just hope that now he is over it all he has a decent run-in.”
Newcastle United (from): Given, Harper, Ramage, Elliott, Boumsong, Bramble, Parker, N'Zogbia, Solano, Emre, Bowyer, Faye, Clark, Shearer, Dyer, Luque, Ameobi, Chopra.
Charlton Athletic (from): Myhre, Young, Hreidarsson, Powell, Ambrose, Holland, Kishishev, Smertin, Hughes, M Bent, D Bent, Andersen, Perry, Spector, Thomas, Bothroyd, El Karkouri, Bartlett, Euell, Fortune.